Production Planning in a Software Product Line Organization

Summary form only given. Most software product line organizations recognize the need for two roles: core asset developers and product builders. These roles may both be assumed by an individual or each may be assumed by persons who are in different administrative units, in different geographic locations, or of vastly different skill levels. Production planning is used in many industries to coordinate the efforts of external suppliers who supply parts and to structure the assembly line where products are produced. The need for coordination in a software product line organization is even greater than in hard goods manufacturing because product production is less constrained by physical properties or industrial standards. Our research has shown that organizations that fail to plan production are more likely to fail than those that do plan. The goal of this tutorial is to provide participants with techniques for conducting production planning.